You Can't Kill Me I'm Already Dead!

It's the return of Craig.

Sen. Larry Craig is reconsidering his decision to resign after his arrest in a Minnesota airport sex sting and may still fight for his Senate seat, his spokesman said Tuesday evening. "It's not such a foregone conclusion anymore, that the only thing he could do was resign," said Sidney Smith, Craig's spokesman in Idaho's capital.

"We're still preparing as if Senator Craig will resign Sept. 30, but the outcome of the legal case in Minnesota and the ethics investigation will have an impact on whether we're able to stay in the fight — and stay in the Senate."

Apparently Arlen Specter got him in a room and told him he wuz framed.

I've been arguing that there wasn't really enough here to convict somebody. And I agree with Arianna that vice-squad busts are totally insane in a time of terror, and just because they're needed for a lot of Republicans doesn't mean that they're necessary.

But here's the thing: he already pleaded guilty. And the law is pretty clear on this, that you can't "un-plead" guilty without some seriously extenuating circumstances, and I don't think "I wanted it to go away" is one of them. In fact, by admitting that he was lying about pleading guilty in the first place, he's potentially eligible for perjury. And we all know how seriously Republicans take perjury.

So Craig has his head in the clouds if he thinks he can win this fight legally. And politically this is a disaster for the GOP. It keeps the story in the news, and highlights their hypocrisy, as they continue to lean on Craig to leave the stage while David Vitter sits casually in his Senate seat. The Republican Caucus can't vote a sitting Senator out; only he can make the decision. And right now it looks like Craig is being obstinate. Even Mark Foley had the sense to get out while the getting was good.

This is hilarious.

UPDATE: Too, too much. Roll Call got a hold of a phone call that Craig placed to the wrong answering machine explaining the whole thing:

Roll Call, a Capitol Hill political newspaper, posted a voice mail tonight that Craig may have inadvertently left at a wrong number Saturday morning. In it, Craig says he changed the wording in his speech and that "this thing could take a new turn or a new shape."

"Yes, Billy, this is Larry Craig calling. You can reach me on my cell. Arlen Specter is now willing to come out in my defense, arguing that it appears by all that he knows that I have been railroaded and all that.

"Having all of that, we have reshaped my statement a little bit to say it is my intent to resign on Sept. 30. I think it is important for you to make as bold a statement as you are comfortable with this afternoon, and I would hope you could make it in front of the cameras.

"I think it would help drive the story that I’m willing to fight, that I’ve got quality people out there fighting in my defense, and that this thing could take a new turn or a new shape, it has that potential. Anyway, give me a buzz or give Mike a buzz on that. We’re headed to my press conference now.

"Thank you. Bye."

I don't understand these people that are so desperate to hold on to power. Is it a pathology? I mean, Larry Craig will never win another election again. Why not go off into the sunset and hope that everybody forgets all about this?